Journal Of A Mad NFL Fan Conference Championship Sunday

HOT DOG! That was a GOOD Conference Championship Sunday! Ok; I know not for Baltimore & San Francisco fans, but still. This is part of the reason why I Love the Game. I Love this time of Year & Yes Why I Love Football! This is riveting stuff. I Love It. I think this is part of the reason why the NFL does get so popular each & every year. There are teams that add intrigue & drama & you can't take your eyes off of it. There's the Twitter connection to it. There's the Fantasy Football connection to it. There's planning the Super Bowl party & living the tradition each year. Gotta Love this Stuff. Ravens & Niners came further than I Ever thought they would this year. I felt like they could be one & dones if they did make the playoffs. They showed me! Shout-out to SI.com & NFL.com for the information. I'm on my Tweet Game on Twitter.com/BuckeyeRidley. That's @BuckeyeRidley. For Super Bowl XLVI Latest News & Notes, checkout NBCSports.com & NFL.com.

-AFC Championship Game. BAL: QB Joe Flacco played decent. He was 22/36, 306 yards with two TDs. Honestly, I said that Flacco needed to have a Good Game as a key to the win for BAL. He needed to have been better than decent. Joe wasn't terrible but he has to show that he's better than average & not just good or ok in 2012. When the team is put to the task, they have to show they can beat the Steelers AND the best of the NFL too. Mind you, they only lost by three but it was still a loss to go to the Super Bowl. That's painful stuff. Flacco is not to be replaced. They have their guy. He's reminds me of Eli Manning when he was needing to go over the hump & prove who he is. Some guys need a few knocks before they can get it together for a championship run. Problem? Some of the pieces there now, won't be there within the next season or two. Folks like Anquan Boldin, Ricky Williams & Terrell Suggs, Ray Lewis [Twitter passed along that he was coming back next year] & Ed Reed may hit the open market when the deals are up or retire. The time is now because every year there is a new hungry team. The Ravens won't be going to the current home of their old team. The Colts left Baltimore in 1984 for Indianapolis. No chance of that reunion. Torrey Smith had 82 yards from three receptions with a touchdown. His longest was 42 yards on the day. Good to see him involved. He'll shine bright with his future with the Ravens but there were some missed cues on SUN that I felt could have been handled with more veteran tenure. Hats off to Anquan Boldin for his 101 yards from six receptions with his longest being 37 yards. He had no touchdowns but his presence was important especially in the fourth quarter with under two minutes left. Ray Rice has 21 carries with 67 yards. On defense, shout-out to Jimmy Smith with the INT. He may feel swole that he got one from Tom Brady. I felt confident that the Ravens D would show up on SUN. They had good moment as such. Ray Lewis said he was not retiring & I believe him. I hope he does come back with no contract issues with the team. I foresee his leadership possibly converting him to a coaching spot hot out the box like Keenan McCardell after retiring or Brian Shaw with the Lakers. He's been key for certain. I understand the Lee Evans dropped pass was certainly another key factor, according to what I hear on Twitter. Some will say it wouldn't have been a TD. Nonethless, Billy Cundiff had a chance to put the game in OT, but it was a no-go when he missed the 32 yarder in the fourth quarter & the Ravens are sent home. When Cundiff walked by camera in the postgame, he covered the lens as he walked by. Rough Day. You saw the replay after the game of Harbaugh, Rice & Suggs with their mouths open/anticipating their reaction; other Ravens player were dejected after the missed FG that sent NE back to the Big Game At The End. It'll be a key offseason for BAL with getting Flacco more in tune with his position & ensuring that the team further focuses on beating PIT in '12 like in '11 & that they are masters of studying film. They are certainly a talented bunch. NE: Gotta Love Tom Brady's postgame proclamation that he played bad. That honesty is a good measure of how a quarterback truly is in the game. Also, it was said that he hadn't watched Super Bowl XLII back because it was too painful for him. That's a commonism for guys who lose the Conference Championship Game or Super Bowl. However. Since Brady & Bunch are going to go back to facing the Giants in the Super Bowl, they must watch it back. I feel since there's some of the same guys on the team, they must see where they failed on the field. No Tyree & No Harrison are on their respective teams to be a part of history but the schemes & plays could run the same. In this game, Tom Brady was 22/36, 239 yards, no touchdowns & two INTs. Man can Ball Out but this game certainly saw his off days. He's been on off days in previous seasons when his team lost to folks like the Ravens. His Receivers & Running Backs were rather quiet on the day. The leading Receiver was Hernandez with seven receptions & 66 yards; Gronk wasn't as Gronked this game with five receptions & 87 yards. However, Gronkowski was hurt in the bottom of the third quarter & limped off the field with the help of trainers & went back to the locker room at one point. Needless to say, I think this game was about the Patriots making their statement that they can be the Top Seed despite their efforts not being the caliber that we're used to seeing & expecting. Winning by three points is different in the NFL than in College Football. A Win is a Win. However, to me I see this as being a chance that the Patriots didn't take to show up an opponent that was not as talented as them; I feel the talent edge certainly goes to NE despite their defensive whoas. Nonetheless, this team is built to go to the Super Bowl. The previous experiences, the history, doing it in the memory of Myra Kraft are some of the reasons why people will be favoring them in the Big Game At The End. This time is a little different than the last trip. There's no veterans like Randy Moss or Junior Seau who are trying to get a ring & won't have one. This is going to be an entertaining game. The Patriots are likely going to take that Eli/Peyton/Elite Quarterback talk & used it as motivation for Brady & the others. I think they listen to the media more than they let on to. Brady was slighted coming out of college. He's been facing that down since he was playing & winning Super Bowls. This is certainly going to be Epic. Also, I think there are going to be so many good things that people will see about the era that will allow them to cave in or just plain hate to admit that this duo of Brady & Belichick is One of the Best in All of Sports. They just do it well. Very Well. The Patriots are off to their seventh Super Bowl in team history; 5th for Brady-Belichick who are sitting at 3-1 in the Super standings. According to Jim Nantz on CBS, this win was Tom Brady's 16th postseason win & he ties his childhood idol, Joe Montana, for Most All-Time Postseason Wins. Now THAT'S Elite. For What It's Worth, Brady was voted the #1 Player among the Top Players of 2011 going into the preseason. Things like these help to put him above Peyton Manning or Drew Brees. Just Incredible. Yeah; It hurts me to say that as I'm a fan of Brees & Manning & their teams LOL. I'm in the "Hate To Admit It" category right now LOL. A Shout-Out goes to Sterling Moore on defense for the ball being knocked out with under one minute left to play. This defense does remind me of the Colts [who will host Super Bowl XLVI in Lucas Oil Stadium/"The Oil Drum"] from 2006, when the defense stepped up & beat teams in the playoffs despite their regular season defensive whoas. Imagine the defense that's in the playoffs trying to stop Victor Cruz or Hakeem Nicks. Or trying to contain Eli's throwing or even his running ability. It's gonna be some Game in Indy. This NFL thing never grows old. Other notes to make: Drew Bledsoe & Robert Kraft kisses on both cheeks was a unique moment after the game LOL. This team is certainly happy to be where they are. Classy of Bledsoe to come back despite being replaced by Brady over ten years ago. I know that he is a Grown Man & appears to understand this was a business that he had to survive in but yet I think this was still a fascinating sight. Also, with the Patriots winning, the Ravens don't get to go to the home of the team that left them in the middle of one night in 1984 to go to Indianapolis. That's just another let down on the day. You can't script this stuff.

Comments

-NFC Championship Game. SF: Applaud the Niners. They were able to go MUCH FURTHER than anyone thought with an NFL rookie head coach & Alex Smith still at the helm at QB. They played well & earned the #2 seed in the NFC. I foresee them being able to gel better & have success. This team is going to have its fair share of hits because the Giants gave the rest of the League a look at how they can take them out. It's been a season that helped to underline the return of the Niners. The game play of Alex Smith was bolstered. In the NFC Championship Game, Smith was 12/26, 196 yards, two TDs & no INTs. It wasn't pretty but Smith didn't hurt his team with turnovers or costly mistakes. It was a rough day for the Niners but Smith & crew has threaded on something that should carry over into 2012. The coaches & the talent of the players have to fuse themselves together to make their efforts better than Good. They finally tapped on something real within this Harbaugh era; let's see how it translates in future seasons especially when things aren't so good. We can tell that the Niners like fiery guys like Singletary & Jim Harbaugh but can it be turned into a wins & playoff berths for multiple seasons? I know it was a tough game that ended in a loss but Harbaugh appeared a bit unattached & irritable after the game. I wonder if that will be a trend in the coming seasons. I know he's not everyone's favorite but Mike Freeman of CBS Sports said after "HandShake Gate" happened that he was hearing that Harbaugh was not making Friends around the League with his attitude. Hopefully his attitude will be in the right slot for this team to continue to grow. They still had a Great Season & are able to build off of this for 2012. They have some shoring up to do but yet have the right pieces to compete. Vernon Davis did work with his TD strike to score the game's first points. After that, he got a penalty of "Unsportmanlike Conduct" after he got up on the platform where the camera was after the TD LOL. That's funny but still got play smart. I know it adds to the "No Fun League" attitude that the NFL has gained. This is part of the game though; you play their game, you play by their rules. In some cases, Sad But True LOL. I heard the "Lambeau Leap" was grandfathered in. Yeah; Sounds like a Double Standard to me too. Vernon Davis, who by the way was 112 yards from three receptions with two touchdowns & a longest run of the day with 73 yards, had the second TD be Epic & celebrated mildly with a dance outside of the end zone. Deion Sanders said that was the worse dance he ever saw LOL. Tarell Brown was hit hard by Dashon Goldson when an Eli Manning pass came sailing between them. Thank the Good Lord he was fine. He walked off with assistance after being down for a bit. Hit looked hard & is reason why NFL got so much heat for how they are protecting their players. It's a tough fact, but it's part of Life in the League when you are in some plays. Goldson & Brown are teammates on the Niners' D. It's one of those crazy things; still hate to see it anytime. How about Ed "Hercules" [LOL] explaining the rulings on the field? I felt embarrassed as his explanations were long on two different rulings. My mind went back to about four to five seasons ago when he botched it in a SD-PIT game, if I recall correctly. Whoa. That's some kind of history. Nice to see that he's Mature aged guy who is healthy but you gotta say so people at home [& in the press box LOL] can understand it. Oh Well; we got through it. I liked the tweet that said he would get his own 90 minute special to explain the call & another that said he was using a BowFlex under the hood LOL. Better than age jokes & such. Also, I saw no mention of his botched call years ago. So there you have it. This team will be fine in 2012 if they keep humble, maintain the right attitude &, as any team, do free agency & the draft well. That's been a key factor in the way that the Packers & Giants have been able to succeed. Patriots as well. It's also how Alumni Men like Bill Polian become the odd man out in tough & rough spots like this season. NYG: Now, The Giants! The little brother of Peyton Manning with the little team that could. The Giants were able to overcome things like losing bad to the Redskins earlier in the season & having injuries plaque their team. Despite those issues, they were able to go back to their 2007 style & get a playoff berth, Wildcard style, & make it to the Super Bowl. This is impressive & Eli Manning & Tom Coughlin deserve a lot of credit. Shout-out to Bear Pascoe [is that a Football Name or what!] who got his FIRST career TD in this game! & yes, his name was already added to the "Best Football Names" page on FootballPros.com LOL. He's on there! I saw a tweet from Jason Pierre-Paul at 3 AM PST the morning of the game! I was like 'Whoa!'. Those must've been some serious nerves. He was one of the Giants' leading tacklers with five & one assist. He's got a good problem with having to put the nerves aside to play in the Super Bowl. That Cruuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuz Control is Boss, huh? LOL. WR Victor Cruz was 142 yards on ten catches. Gotta Love that dude's gameplay. He can Ball & he knows it. I Love it. He stays classy & that's needed for this team to continue to fight each season & show the NFC & the NFL who is Boss. How about that Peyton Manning-Papa John's commercial that aired on SUN? LOL. Love seeing Peyton come in. I know it was because the game is in Indy. Guess else Peyton did? I understand from "Mike & Mike in the Morning" that Peyton paid for his own ticket to see Eli play. He didn't want to bother Eli for tickets, he said LOL. Cool of Peyton to do that & show his support. It'll be something else to see the Brothers Manning in the Lucas Oil Stadium on Super Sunday but in starkly different capacities. I agree that is "The House That Peyton Built". Where would they be without Peyton Manning? This is a franchise that thrived on his skills in so many ways. Al Michaels called Eli Elite in his comments about the Super Bowl match-up in the early Monday Morning press release from NBC Universal. The Giants will have some Good moments that showcase what kind of talents they have. I foresee them being able to put up a Good Fight in this showdown. I Love that these two teams are meeting up with each other again. Know what else? Eli & Coughlin thrive off being shuddered & so does Tom Brady. This is gonna be an Epic showdown. About the death threats that Niners' Special Teamer Kyle Williams got via Twitter because of two key fumbles, that's the epicenter of society's problems. Terrible that a human being talks to another like that & thinks it's ok. This is the world we live in & it's disgusting. I'm not surprised but saddened. This place called Earth has some dark moments & days that was one of them. The Niners have a sub for their trusty Ted Ginn, Jr. He is 23 years old. It's the Niners' first NFC Championship Game in more than a decade after missing the playoffs last year. I see the mad disappointment, but lay off the hoping people die trash. This is the down side of social media. Love the Love Kyle got from folks on Twitter like Deion Sanders & Kurt Warner. That's the way to do it. Best Wishes to him to get it right next time. This was a Good Game for both teams. A lil' OT helps to keep the Football DNA flowin'!

Mercy! These two games were decided by three points! This is part of the fun that is the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XLVI is going to feature the New York Giants & the New England Patriots. Neither are New to the Super Bowl but yet are very much seeking some New History that the League hasn't seen before. As passed along via Twitter, the 2011 Giants are the third team in NFL History to go to the Super Bowl with less than ten wins. Also, the Brady-Belichick duo is one that is certain to make fans bow to their incredible efforts. Either way, the common theme here: these teams & their coaches are connected to Bill Parcells. He's been successful as a head coach & at teaching the game to his players & staff. Remember, Parcells is a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2012. Certainly deserves the nod. These two teams are gaining/retaining their own legacies in their current era. It's incredible. According to Wikipedia, the first Super Bowl Tom Brady & Bill Belichick won together was on February 3, 2002. The Tenth Anniversary of that Victory will be two days before the Super Bowl XLVI Shindig. NFL History is unlike any other sport. It's downright incredible. We'll see if either team will re-write history; who ever loses this Super Bowl, will likely be heavily monitored to see how they fair through any Super Bowl slump. Steelers did well despite the one & done playoff appearance. Life in The League. Gotta Love how both teams have American colors of Red, White & Blue on their uniform.

Flacco played great. If Evans wraps up that ball, Flacco would have had a drive for the ages to win at Foxboro. The whole narrative would have been different. If Cundiff kicks it in, the same thing.

I'm sorry, but Eli threw the ball 58 times, to gain 316. That is a 5.44 YPA, which isn't anything that great to boast about. The best Special Teams by DVOA decided to have their worst day at the worst possible moment.

Bob Kraft was honoring the 1996 and 2001 Super Bowl teams. Drew, Brushchi, Troy Brown, and Ty Law were honorary captains. I know Lawyer Milloy was at the game, too, cause he tweeted about how cold it was when he landed at Logan on Friday. I don't know how many others were there, since, well, CBS ignored it totally.

I do know that Mr. Kraft told Drew on Friday that if we won, he'd hand the AFC trophy to Mr Kraft and Tom, and people at the press event said it almost brought Drew to tears. There was never any bad blood between the Pats and Drew Bledsoe. He was always a classy guy, and if wasn't for him, we wouldn't have been in position to have the success we had.